Chapter 84
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 84
"Your Majesty? Are you unwell?"
The Emperor clamped his mouth shut and said nothing. Whether it was irritation or illness, I couldn't tell, but the cough was unmistakable.
"May I... move closer to you?"
"No."
"I see. That won't do, then."
I settled back down, abandoning my attempt to stand.
"Please don't misunderstand—I'm not sulking or displeased. I simply don't wish to share my cold with you, given that you already show signs of catching one yourself."
The Emperor added this explanation with characteristic courtesy.
I acknowledged his words and sat quietly. A chill wind swept between us.
"It's certainly cold in this cave."
"Yes, it is."
From what I could see outside, it appeared to be morning, yet the wind cut through with bitter cold.
The real problem wasn't whether people would find us—it was that our body heat was steadily dropping.
Moreover, The Emperor had already given me all his clothing except for his shirt.
"Your Majesty, things may have become awkward between us, but shouldn't survival take priority? You said you've caught a cold."
I made my proposal and moved closer to him. He extended his arm in a gesture forbidding me to approach.
...It was strange—usually the roles of the one approaching and the one pushing away were reversed.
But first, we needed to survive this.
"Do you know what's most effective for preserving body heat?"
"I do."
"Ah, you do know!"
I felt embarrassed again.
I didn't understand why, but The Emperor's resolve seemed formidable. He stepped back as I moved toward him.
His voice sounded hoarse, perhaps from coughing.
"Do not come near me. You mustn't."
The Emperor stirred the dying embers and coaxed the fire back to life.
"You need not return the clothes. I gave them to you to cover yourself."
"...But we do need to survive and escape, don't we?"
I stepped closer to The Emperor, driven by the goal of survival.
The Emperor might have had much on his mind, but staying alive came first.
"Regardless, our objective is survival. Both Your Majesty and I are struggling. We need to share what we have until the rescue team arrives. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Share...."
"Do you understand what I mean?"
Even behind a mask, human expressions can show through.
The Emperor simply gazed at me, as if he didn't comprehend.
"I'm also part of the Lockhart Family. I'm Enya Lockhart, the lady of House Lockhart, and your loyal subject, Your Majesty."
I edged gradually toward The Emperor's side.
"My devotion and loyalty to you are no different from that of my family members. I simply don't want to leave you in danger."
From across the fire, I had somehow drawn closer to him.
"Your Majesty, please shield us from the wind coming from the left. I'll protect your right side."
"...So."
The Emperor responded with deliberate slowness.
"You're suggesting we each block one side for the other."
"We need to endure the night."
"...."
The Emperor stared at me intently. Was that the look of someone wondering how such a situation had come to pass?
I extended one arm.
"And we should share the cloak. It's your garment, Your Majesty. Even if you're well-trained, physical conditioning is different from immunity."
"...."
"Unless you've come to hate me, Your Majesty, please come closer."
I urged The Emperor forward, but he seemed hesitant to approach me.
I extended my pinky finger toward him.
"I promise you—I won't initiate any unnecessary physical contact."
"...."
He stared at my pinky finger.
"Even though we're betrothed! We're not married yet, and we're not even formally engaged, so I swear—unless it's for survival, for survival!—I won't touch you in any way that would displease you. I promise."
"...."
Whoooosh! A cold gust swept through once more.
The wind that cut across my entire body from head to toe was sharp and biting.
"...But! In a crisis like this, could I perhaps press a little closer?"
I chattered my teeth, shivering violently. When I crouched beside The Emperor, the warmth was unmistakable.
Simply being at his side, I could feel his elevated body temperature. I wasn't sure if he naturally ran warm, but it felt distinctly different from standing alone in the cold.
Our shoulders nearly touched, separated only by a narrow gap.
"If we're to share warmth, the lady seems to be in the colder position."
"What? Ah, that's because... your health is more important than mine, Your Majesty."
If The Emperor caught a cold and had to withdraw, it would be disastrous. Too many duties would grind to a halt.
My side faced the large opening of the cave entrance, while he sat deeper inside.
"I don't see it that way."
Suddenly, my body lifted into the air.
"!"
The Emperor effortlessly hoisted me and set me down on the inner side. Our positions had reversed.
"This is the proper arrangement."
"...."
I was lifted and moved before I could even register it. I sat there bewildered, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"...Thank you."
I stumbled over my words, flustered.
"Your Majesty is quite kind."
My shoulder brushed against his arm. The Emperor's body heat was remarkably warm—so intense it felt almost feverish.
Was he running a high fever...?
Was he unwell?
Yet the way he held my arm while standing didn't suggest he was in serious pain.
Even as I remained still, our arms occasionally touched. I shifted slightly to the side.
I couldn't make The Emperor uncomfortable.
"If you're cold, you may lean on me."
I was cold, but leaning on him felt wrong. I wrapped my arms around myself and crouched down.
"I'm fine."
"I told you I have someone I care for. Do you dislike me for that?"
"Honestly, I find it hard to believe. You've never shown any sign of it. If you truly cared for someone...wouldn't there be no reason for you to wait nearly four years for me?"
Yet somehow my vision blurred.
I pressed my forehead with my hand and sat quietly.
"You have a fever."
The Emperor touched my forehead and spoke in an alarmed voice.
He stood and looked outside, then returned. It seemed he was checking if there was a passage through the cliff that we could use to escape.
"It's not a severe fever."
I touched my own forehead, but it wasn't that bad. Just exhaustion.
"I told you to lean on me."
"You don't have to."
But The Emperor's voice sounded slightly irritated.
"Surely it's better than the cold, hard ground."
"I'm fine. I'm good at sitting."
"You're running a fever and yet you claim I'm worse."
"I'm fine. This is more comfortable."
"You haven't eaten properly. What if you collapse?"
"I'm fine. I won't collapse from this."
"I harbor no ill intentions toward you. Is that clear?"
The Emperor lifted me up and sat me on his lap, speaking in a low voice.
"You asked why I waited four years for you. I didn't choose not to marry—I couldn't. I didn't revoke the Empress decree I granted you—I was unable to."
"...."
"I've answered everything you were curious about. So sit still now. Conserve your strength, please."
The Emperor's therapy was effective. My eyes flew open at his words.
"Then it wasn't because you wanted me?"
"Let's say it was."
"Does that mean yes or no?"
As I tried to stand, my head throbbed and I swayed.
"!"
The Emperor, who had caught me, sat back down again and let out a deep sigh.
"That's enough. I told you to stay still so you don't hurt yourself. My lady."
"Really?"
Suddenly, all the worries that had been weighing on me seemed to dissolve.
Then what's the reason?
"Your Majesty, could you perhaps go out and pretend we never spoke of the Empress, and withdraw the imperial decree?"
"That is not possible."
"What? Why not?"
I turned around to face The Emperor.
His face was so close to mine it hardly mattered to me.
!
"Your Majesty, really? Why not?"
....
I brought my face even closer to his. Close enough that I could almost see into his eyes.
Then suddenly, a thought occurred to me.
A thought I had never entertained before.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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